Awesome Astronomy - Gravitational Musing & Nuclear Cruising
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The UK's scientific infrastructure is facing a crisis as the government slashes funding for fundamental physics and astronomy, threatening major projects like the Extremely Large Telescope and the Square Kilometre Array. This 'vandalism of science'—as hosts Jenny and Paul call it—prioritizes short-term commercial engineering over blue-sky research, risking long-term innovation and talent. Yet, amid this gloom, there's hope: NASA is advancing nuclear-powered spacecraft using fission reactors and ion thrusters, with a 2028 mission to Mars and future Uranus ambitions. Meanwhile, the Hubble Space Telescope is set for a potential reboost, and new data from the Crab Nebula reveals its expansion in stunning detail over 25 years. The episode closes with a celebration of the night sky, from the Lyrid meteor shower to the hidden galaxies of the M96 group and the full moon’s albedo features.
The UK is pulling out of major international science projects, cutting fundamental physics funding by nearly 30% and threatening long-term innovation.
NASA's SR1 Freedom mission will launch in 2028, using nuclear fission to power ion thrusters for deep space travel to Mars and potentially Uranus.
Hubble Space Telescope is being considered for a reboost to extend its life, with a test mission planned for the Swift X-ray observatory first.
The Crab Nebula has expanded at 5.5 million km/h over 25 years, and Hubble’s new images reveal 3D structure and dynamic changes in its filaments.
Stochastic sirens—using the gravitational wave background—offer a new way to resolve the Hubble tension by measuring cosmic expansion history.
…and 3 more takeaways available in PodZeus
The Power of the Universe
The hosts open with awe at the universe’s scale and energy, contrasting human fragility with cosmic phenomena like colliding neutron stars and energetic jets.
Personal Updates and Bath Astronomers 50th
Jenny shares her recovery from norovirus and recounts attending the 50th anniversary of Bath Astronomers, where she saw a historic newspaper ad confirming the founding date and heard a keynote by Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell.
Four Nights of Astronomy and the GRS Transit
Paul describes a streak of clear skies allowing four consecutive nights of deep sky observing, including tracking the Great Red Spot transit on Jupiter and viewing galaxies in the Leo I group.
Project Hail Mary and the Artemis Pause
The hosts urge listeners to see the film 'Project Hail Mary' and confirm they’re taking an Artemis-free break, saving discussion for the launch.
The Dawn of Nuclear-Powered Spacecraft
“This is the way forward. Ion thrusters are going to be the way forward if we want to go and explore the outer solar system.”
“This government does not understand science. They don't understand it, they don't get it, they are not scientists.”
“You can actually physically see it. It literally gets bigger.”
“That's all you'd get. And ion thrusters are going to be the way forward if we want to go and explore the outer solar system.”
Hosts
jenny
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paul
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nasa
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uk government
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hubble space telescope
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crab nebula
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m96 group
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sr1 freedom
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dame jocelyn bell burnell
person
c/2026 a1 machholz
other
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